What Are Physical Activity and Exercise?

Physical activity is any activity that gets your body moving. It includes
any activity that is part of your daily life -- from sweeping and cleaning to
carrying groceries, gardening, walking, dancing, riding a bicycle, lifting
weights at the gym, stocking shelves in a store, or playing soccer with
friends.

Exercise is a type of physical activity. Exercise is activity that is
planned and done on a regular basis (e.g., several times a week) for enjoyment
or for improving any aspect of physical fitness -- strength, flexibility, or
endurance. There are two main types of physical activity or exercise that the
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommends for adults:
aerobic (cardiovascular or "cardio") and muscle-strengthening (resistance).

Advertisement

Labeling something a physical activity or an exercise is not nearly as
important as understanding that the human body was designed to move, and stays
healthier when it does. In other words, being active with your body -- whether
it is through small amounts of activity throughout the day or scheduled blocks
of time for more strenuous movement -- contributes to a longer, healthier life.
Even small changes woven throughout the fabric of your normal life can greatly
enhance your activity level and your health: taking the stairs instead of the
elevator, carrying instead of wheeling groceries through the store, walking a
short distance instead of driving the car.

It is important to know that neither expensive equipment nor complicated
techniques are necessary in order for you to be physically active. Aerobic
activity can be as simple as walking or cleaning your home with some added
pep in your step. If it is unsafe or uncomfortable outside, try walking the stairs in your
building or stepping up and down off the first step of a sturdy step-stool.

Muscle-strengthening activities can be simple, too. All it takes is your
body and a floor -- for sit-ups, push-ups, or deep-knee bends. If you want to
lift weights, try cans of food, jugs of water, or a spare brick. There are many
ways to be safely physically active without spending a lot of money or going
special places.

Benefits of Exercise and Being Physically Active

There are many ways in which physical activity can improve your health -- it
can build and maintain muscle, increase your endurance, and strengthen your
heart. In addition, there are many benefits of exercise that are especially
helpful for people living with HIV (HIV+). Being physically active and having
an exercise routine can:

Increase muscle mass and prevent muscle loss. It is important to note that
women rarely 'bulk up' or build large muscles without serious weight training
regimens over long periods of time. Women's bodies have low levels of
testosterone -- the hormone that can lead to bulky muscles. Also, many exercises
can tone existing muscle without adding bulk.

There is also a connection between muscle mass and immune function. People who
exercise often have higher CD4 counts and fewer side effects from HIV and HIV drugs.

Because powerful new HIV drugs are allowing many HIV+ people to live long,
full lives, many of the medical problems facing people living with HIV now have
more to do with diseases of aging than HIV-related illnesses. Being physically
active is important in preventing aging-related health issues. In addition to
the benefits listed above, there is strong evidence to suggest that being
physically active lowers your risk for:

Breast cancer

Heart disease

Stroke

High blood pressure

Metabolic syndrome (including diabetes)

Colon cancer

How Much and What Type of Physical Activity Do You Need for Health Benefits?

According to the DHHS, there are two types of physical activity that adults
need each week to improve their health -- aerobic and muscle-strengthening
activities.

Aerobic (Cardiovascular, "Cardio") Activity

Aerobic exercise uses oxygen to burn fat in your body. This is why people
who are trying to lose weight often do a lot of aerobic exercise. It is also
called cardiovascular exercise, because it raises your heart rate and makes
your heart stronger. Besides burning fat, it can increase your endurance so
that you do not get tired as quickly when you are active. Aerobic exercises can
also lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugars.

Aerobic activity is often described in terms of its intensity, or how much
effort it takes to do something. During moderate intensity activity, your
breathing and heart rate become a bit higher and you will likely be a bit
sweaty at the end. Another way to think of moderate intensity activity is any
activity during which you can talk but not sing. During vigorous intensity
activity, a person cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a
breath, since vigorous effort causes your heart rate and breathing to increase
substantially.

Examples of moderate aerobic activity include:

Brisk walking (> three miles per hour, but not race walking)

General gardening (e.g., weeding, raking leaves)

Biking (< ten miles per hour)

Water aerobics

Examples of vigorous aerobic activity include:

Running, jogging, or race walking

Swimming laps

Jumping rope

Aerobics (including dancing)

Heavy gardening (e.g., digging holes, hoeing)

Cross-country skiing

To see substantial health benefits, the DHHS recommends that adults need to
do at least:

an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic
activities

Aerobic activity should be done for at least ten minutes at a time; however,
how you reach your total weekly goal is up to you. For example, if you aim for
150 minutes of moderate activity per week, you could do 30 minutes of activity
five days a week or ten-minute periods of activity 15 times throughout your
week.

It is important to ask your health care provider if you have any conditions
that might make it a bad idea to do aerobic activity -- especially muscle
wasting or very little body fat.

This article was provided by The Well Project. Visit The Well Project's Web site to learn more about their resources and initiatives for women living with HIV. The Well Project shares its content with TheBody.com to ensure all people have access to the highest quality treatment information available. The Well Project receives no advertising revenue from TheBody.com or the advertisers on this site. No advertiser on this site has any editorial input into The Well Project's content.

(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Beforeadding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.